The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ๐. Members of the General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (GIWUSA) have embarked on a strike after management refused to accede to their demand of R600 increase to their wages.
๐ฆ๐๐๐ง๐จ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ป๐๐ถ๐น ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐.
GIWUSA and its members are justified to demand the R600 increase based on two factors: the rising cost of living and the total earnings of the company in the previous financial year.
๐๐ผ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐น๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด
In contrast to the economic liberals, who think a wage must be determined by the supply and demand in the labour market, we argue that labour power must be sold at its value. The value of labour power is the aggregation of all the basic necessities that reproduces it. This includes food, shelter, transport and social reproduction at the minimal.
Given the interest rates which have been elevated to 11,75% at prime lending and the inflation rate that has averaged over 6% in the past two years, the cost of these basic necessities has risen significantly. The latest Household Affordability Index by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity research group indicates that the average household food basket costs R5,324.86 per month. Transport to and from work, excluding fare to school for children, costs R1 760, and a 350 KWh costs R906. In addition to the current rate of consumer prices, inflation is projected to average 4,7% over the Medium-Term.
Summarily, this shows that workers deserve an increase to their wages so that they could afford the basic necessities for the reproduction of their labour power.
๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐
In the last financial year, ending June 2023, RCL Foods recorded a R539 million in profits and paid R268 million to shareholders in dividends. The negotiations for these wages are based on claiming past earnings i.e. the past surplus value created by labour power of our workers. From their annual report, it is clear that RCL Foods made profits that enable it to afford the current wage demand.
SAFTU calls on RCL Foods workers to unite across all divisions of RCL to fight for a wage increases until management accede to their demands.
